


Commander of Death

by ThereIsThat



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Commander Lexa, F/F, Fights, Gen, Grounder Octavia Blake, Near Death Experiences, Personification of Death, Sacrifice, Saving the World, Self-Sacrifice, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-28
Updated: 2016-11-30
Packaged: 2018-08-11 13:20:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7894180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThereIsThat/pseuds/ThereIsThat
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if there's more for being Wanheda? what if Death is the commander of her not the other way round?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Myth Comes to Life

**_~ When strangers and natives finally unite_ **

**_An old spirit will strive to rise_ **

**_It'll bring unending war and unfathomable death_ **

**_Take over the minds and seek the commandant of life_ **

**_In the epoch when two Heda-s survive_ **

**_Their blood and might shall collide_ **

**_One of them will be the vigorous part_ **

**_And the other's soul will suffice ~_ **

**_** **_ **

Clarke closed the low door behind her to face the weirdest sight. She knows this room quite well by now after spending some time in it with Lexa. It's Titus', a small addition connected to the hall where he keeps what is left of the Polis ship and where he does his worshiping. There's nothing here but a bed and a small cabinet, Lexa and her always sit on the floor sometimes for hours just talking or not even really.

  _"I used to come and hide here whenever I wanted to feel distant from the crazy life my fate had so strangely led me to" Lexa told her once "it's a place where I can clear my head and imagine peace"._

What Lexa didn't say is that she never really managed to feel that peace, she just hoped for it until now. not an opposite of war peace, not a peace that she can share with her people, just calmness that engulfs her from the inside in the few times she sat here with Clarke's head in her lap, she doesn't understand why or where it comes from, she knows it's something bigger than love, she felt love before and it can bring fire and storms but this... this is different and better than anything she'd ever felt before.

Now, Clarke was staring at the bed where an enormous black panther lies, the same kind she once killed in the woods after a tiring fight, she still has the scar on her left shoulder where it took a part of her skin right before she put a knife in his heart. The panther also had a scar, it started near the back of his head and curved to the right side of his body, except it looked like something between a wound and a burn, a flaming orange gush more like a drawing than an actual wound, it looked as calm as dead but there was no blood anywhere to see. Lexa was putting the last of her armor and sword when she noticed Clarke closing the door and looking around her in shock.

_-"Lexa... What happened?"_

_-"Clarke... I need to go, I'll explain everything later. Don't leave. And beware of this thing; (pointing to the still animal) I'm not sure if I killed it... Well, if it can be killed... But I have to go find Titus!_ "

And she is already hurrying out in the outside hall before Clarke could think of anything to say, that's when she has the weird feeling of something creeping behind her. She turns around and there it is, the panther looking somehow even more huge standing on all four on the bed, his eyes burning as orange as the scar, looking straight into hers. She reaches for her knife quickly; 'she knows how to do this' she tells herself "I've killed worst things before".

 The animal jumps in one wild move, without making any sound, he just does. She feels a strong wind coming all around her, inside her even in motion with her right arm defending her face, and her knife-holding one taking a forward stab towards the beast. The knife hits nothing it just swings in the air dragging her body forward, she turns in her place and there's nothing. The animal is just gone as if it evaporates into thin air!

The room starts to swim before her eyes, her body is too heavy and before she realizes that she's lost all control over it she hears the metal of the knife hitting the floor and feels a terrible jerk of her own head doing the same before she goes completely off.

*** ***

_-"Clarke... Clarke..."_

Clarke opens her eyes slowly to the call of her name, she's dizzy blinking at a hundred colorful circles on the ceiling, there in the midst of them is Lexa's face, her braids falling on the sides of her head, and her sweaty face has a terrified look on it.

-" _Clarke…"_ she says again putting one hand behind her head and helping her to her feet.

_"are you okay?"_

- _"I..."_ Clarke is trying to make sense of the world around but the pain in the back of her head isn't helping.

_"That animal attacked me..."_

- _"Attacked you? Clarke, did it run away where is it?"_

Somehow remembering this makes Clarke even more confused, she has no idea what really happened and if it was all just a weird dream.

- _"I think... Yes it attacked me and then... I don't know"_

 _-"Clarke look at me"_ Lexa is now more worried if that's even possible.

_"did you try to fight it? Did you see it walk out? You have to tell me"_

_-"No... Yes I tried to hit it, but I couldn't, it's like... it just evaporated from in front of me!_ "

- _"is it in you?! God!"_ Lexa says with her voice shaking and she starts backing away to the nearest wall like a trapped little animal that's afraid to death.

_-"who am I Clarke?"_

_-"what?!"_

_-"Who am I? Do you feel like you want to hurt me?"_

_-"Lexa what are you talking about?  I'd never..."_

_-"The beast... It tried to attack you, it made no sound just jumped at you and you felt a strong wind sucking your body…"_

_-"and a tangling feeling like... Like something evil was creeping inside my own veins"_ completed Clarke with a half absent mind.

- _"Wanheda! When they started calling you that I..."_ now Lexa's voice in nothing more than a trembling whisper nearly lost in her heavy breaths.

_-"what does that mean? What's happening?"_

_-"commander of death… Clarke, is it still you? How can you be in so much control of it, that's...? Do you want to hurt me?"_

Clarke is jerking back to reality with this question, she's more confused than she's ever been in her life but why would she want to hurt Lexa? That sounds the craziest of all.

- _"the last Wanheda died trying to kill me Clarke, I killed her or rather got that thing out of her... You'd soon want to do the same"_

 _-"what do you mean last Wanheda? I would never.."_ she repeated once again, she realized that she's been moving closer to the wall cornering Lexa between it and herself, she reaches her hand and touches Lexa's nick and then quickly, strongly press her lips against hers in a passionate kiss like she's been thirsty for it for ages.

*** ***

 

Lexa kisses her back.  
She's still terrified, her heart is bounding so fast she can swear it's trying to leave her chest but there can be a raging war all around her and she'd do nothing but give up to Clarke's touch. She's pressing her elbows on Clarke's stomach pulling the collar of her jacket, suddenly she feels a stinging bite in her lower lip so hard it makes her pull her head away.

 _-"I'm  ... "_ Clarke had moved back too, her hands are shaking, she didn't even mean to do that.

  _"you're bleeding Lexa, I'm sorry"_

 _-"I'm fine..."_ she says cleaning her lip with the back of her hand.

  _"We can't stay together much longer Clarke, I don't know when this… This thing is going to take over you. You need to leave before it's too late"_

_-"No. you have to explain, what the hell is happening to me?"_

_-"Clarke..."_

- _"I'm not going anywhere before you do. I'd never hurt you! Tell me what's going on."_

Lexa looks at her with the most complex mix of emotions; does she really believe Clarke would want to kill her any minute now? And yet she reaches for her hand and as they both sit in the edge of the bed there it is again, that unidentified peace.

- _"alright... I'll explain, but then you have to go as far away from here as you can."_

*** ***

Clarke is riding her horse through the forest, her mind is so occupied she wouldn't notice an army trying to approach her. Luckily that's not happening right now; the war is only inside her head. Everything she heard 2 hours ago before she left Polis is total madness. She doesn't know if she believes in any of these superstitions of the grounders, Lexa certainly seems to do. She told her an old tale about an evil spirit that haunts people and tries to kill whoever becomes commander like it's a fact no one can deny. If it wasn't for what she saw earlier she wouldn't listen to a word of it and refuse to leave all together. But right now she doesn't know what she believes anymore. Maybe she just lost her mind. All she cares about for the moment is keeping Lexa safe, and if she was honest with herself she's not sure if being around her is the best choice right now for there is a weird urge inside her to be physically attached to Lexa, to make her feel something extreme. She probably just misses her so much but the fairy tale she heard is missing with her head. Or so she tells herself.

*** ***

In Polis, Lexa is locking herself in her room waiting for one of the few messengers she sent to come back with Titus or any news about him. He's the only one she trusts to tell about this without him going mad or demands an immediate war. If she tells the heads of the other clans she's sure they'll want nothing other than Clarke's severed head brought before them.

She hears a movement coming from a wardrobe. The door is being gently pushed open and there comes out Murphy all sweaty and horrified like he's been hunted by death himself.

- _"what the hell are you doing here?"_ she almost screams immediately reaching for her favorite knife that she keeps in the side laces of her boot.

- _"calm down, Titus sent me, just calm down if anyone knows I'm here they won't let me leave this place alive"_

_-"why do you think I would?"_

_-"right... I guess that's likely but I was hoping you'd change your mind after you hear the message"_

Lexa just stands there staring at him still ready to strike at the first wrong step he takes. She gestures for him to start talking already with the slightest raise of her eyebrow.

- _"Look… well I don't know what does any of this mean, but Titus says only the 8 th Night-blood knows how to save her. He says go yourself. Take the ones Wanheda trusts not who you trust. The warrior will help you get to her world."_

Lexa's feet are planted in the floor. Titus already knows?! And he wants her to leave Polis herself!

_-"where's he?"_

_-"I don't know... He said he has to go do something that it has to be him. And well, he said if I didn't stay behind and give you his message then my people would be dead and he'll make sure to kill me by himself."_

Lexa is starting to grasp what she's hearing, she starts moving around on what looks to be calm heavy steps but her mind is exploding in a million different directions. She thinks she knows where Titus is but how can he leave her all by herself like that? And now he wants her go where? The 8th? Luna! She should go find Luna herself. That's crazy. Only what other options does she have? If she did nothing the word will get out and the clans will start the war they've been pushing to have against the sky-people since the minute they landed a foot on this Earth.  And there's absolutely no one she can trusts here.  Titus is all she's got. Now she's all by herself trying to save the world and herself from the love of her life and figure a way to protect her too.

- _"John, I need your help. I don't know if I trust you but Titus wouldn't leave the message with you if he didn't trust you"_

_-"are you going to make sure to kill me yourself if I didn't as well?"_

_-"No John.  I'm not threatening you I'm asking, if you don't help me with this there will be a war bigger than us all, your people would be the first to die. But if you help, maybe you and I can have some time because we're second on the list._ "

_-"You and I? Funny how the minute you need me we become such an entity when you never even acknowledge my presence"_

_-"John, please..."_

_-"Fine. It's not like I have anything else to do except getting killed by someone or another. What do you need?"_

_-"We need to go to your camp; I can't enter it obviously not when I don't want to be seen, but you can. You can get me Octavia while I wait you outside"_

Now it's Murphy's turn to be confused. So the great commander is just as trapped as he is in this building and she needs him to sneak her out. He tries to weigh his options for a second but then he realizes that he doesn't really have much.

- _"Okay…"_

_-"Okay?"_

_-"yeah… Just try to keep this knife away from me, you seem like you really know how to use it"_

Without further talking she grabs her sword and follow him down to the secret tunnels out, she knows where they start but she never used them and there's no way she's telling him that right now. A minute after they've been moving towards the dark Murphy seems to remember something.

- _"your girlfriend isn't coming?"_

Lexa doesn't answer right away; she takes a large breath and picks up her pace.

- _"Clarke is already gone."_

**_*** ***_ **


	2. The Warrior Finds a Way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa gathers a new team from the sky-people to help her save Clarke and both their people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in case you wonder.. I thought Lincoln deserved that mention, to add to the story.

Outside the sky-people camp Lexa is sitting in a cave waiting for Murphy or praying that he'll come back.  She still has zero trust in him but she doesn't know what else to do and she keeps telling herself that he wasn't Titus only option as well, that he trusted him to help her. Now she thinks about it, she wasn't sure what he was doing around Titus all this time and he actually let him into Lexa's room hiding him from the guards!

It seems to take much longer than it actually is for her, before Octavia enters the cave. The latter spare a stressful glance in Lexa's direction before she looks aside and speaks.

_-"now that you're in trouble you don't want to kill me anymore?"_

Lexa can actually hear a touch of ache in her deep voice. She was hoping this isn't the first thing Octavia will think of the next time they meet but how can't it be.

-" _I promised Clarke not to do anything to hurt you"_

_-"you also promised Clarke to fight a war by her side, and she promised to come back and take care of her people… you two seem perfect for each other when I look at it this way"_

Lexa needs to think a bit longer before she says anything else; she doesn't know how to break into this.

_-"I know you probably hate me, and I don't blame you nor expect you to understand. I was doing what's right for my people like you. Like Lincoln. I had to make a hard decision."_

_-"Lincoln died fighting a war that isn't his, because you left us on that damn mountain."_

_-"I'm sorry. I don't think he would've chosen any other way: fighting for you, with you."_

Octavia still wouldn't look at her direction and being unable to understand her expression Lexa decides to go right into the subject.

-" _Did Lincoln ever tell you about the legend of Wanheda? Where does the word actually come from?"_

_-"The one who demands death and seeks the commander of life. It's one of your old myths"_

_-"I wouldn't call it a myth"_

_-"So? You want me to go run in the woods with you now and kill Death?"_

_-"no. I need you to help me sav…"_

Lexa's voice breaks mid-sentence. She seems to be fighting something bigger than tears, like she's trying to hold her soul inside before it spills off of her.

- _"where's Clarke?"_

_-"I sent her away. She seems to be in control of it, when she left at least but I don't know how long will that be"_

_-"that's insane."_

Octavia is half laughing half scared now.

  _"That's… impossible. You're telling me that Clarke is now possessed by this Thing that wants her to kill people. This all sound mad, and why Clarke? Isn't it supposed to be someone from your people? Someone merciless… ruthless …"_

_-"has seen enough death in their life?"_

 Lexa interrupts. Now silence falls upon them both, a heavy deadly silence.

_"Who has seen more death than Clarke? I don't believe she's merciless for a second but I know she's powerful more than she even knows; she's a perfect choice for death to haunt her soul and demand more through her."_

She stops for a moment fixing the rhythm of her breathing.

_"When people started calling Clarke that after mount weather, I thought they're just afraid or astonished because of what she did. I don't know if they were right or they brought it on her. I fought this woman earlier, she was weak and suffering already true, but even then it was one hell of a fight. And her fresh sucked out corrupted soul formed the shape of a panther to me. Clarke told me all those dreams she has. In her sleep she sees their faces, she hears the kids laughs, she witnesses their silence as they go still, and then all her fears and miseries take the shape of the black panther she once slayed in the woods and attacks her, that's when she always wakes up._

_I should've made the connection when I saw the beast. But I wasn't thinking. I couldn't imagine. And I didn't have another choice; I brought it back to Titus to figure out what to do but…"_

Swallowing a large breath Lexa finally notices that she's been sobbing while talking for some time. Octavia is just standing there looking at her with shock unable to say or do anything. She's never seen Lexa so vulnerable. She never saw her do anything except walking around in her full costume ordering wars and kill orders. This normal woman filled with regret and pain in front of her is barely recognizable.

 _-"I need your help."_ Lexa manages to say after few minutes of wiping tears and trying to stop more of coming out.

- _"why me? What can I do?"_

 _-"You're the one who knows how to get to Luna, and Cla.."_ there seems to be a knot on her throat every time she comes to pronounce her name.

_"She would've trusted you with her life, and her people's. She told me once that you're the only one who seems to understand this new world that's neither yours nor ours, but some mutual ground between them both"_

_-"fine…"_ Octavia's face is gradually showing a determination she gets colored in every time her mind is made up to do something reckless and crazily courageous.

_"How do we do that?"_

_-"We get to Luna... but first, we need more help. Your trusted friends. Only the ones Clarke would've trusted with this, for some reason we have to be careful on whom to take with us"_

They share a final look. Maybe the first one where they're actually staring at each other's eyes directly.  They're on the verge of an oblivious mission. But they'd walk towards it with firm steps regardless, and as for Octavia she knows exactly who's going to be in her team.

*** *** ***

Moving in the woods in the best disguise that she can manage without much help, Lexa is not entirely recognizable for those who don't know her face. Her hair is covered as best as she can and her sword is secure beneath her long coat. No war paint to avoid any attention even though she didn't really run into anyone while she's been waiting for Octavia to come back with her friends. And hopefully won't until they hit their destination.

Octavia comes along with the first light of day dragging so much noise behind. To be fair it must be the others for Octavia is pretty familiar with all the ways to avoid being noticed by now after all this training with Indra.

Strangely Lexa notices Murphy before anyone else strolling ahead from the rest.

_-"what's he doing here?" she asks urgently._

_-"you're very welcome"_

 Murphy smirks as he moves ahead and leaves enough space between them to ensure he won't hear the next sentence she says.  Lexa lowers her voice nevertheless

- _"I don't think Clarke trusts him."_

_-"She should. He's the one who convinced the rest to come along."_

_-"And you brother?"_

 Lexa asks after taking a look behind and seeing the small group of people following them.

- _"he's in the camp. I know he'd dive in whatever insanity next in line the minute he hears Clarke's name and that's exactly why I didn't ask him"_

Lexa seems to be intrigued by this phrase and maybe a bit comfortable that he isn't around but she won't just admit it that easy.

- _"Clarke trusts him, you should've brought him with you"_

 _-"listen..."_ Octavia is starting to get annoyed. Now that the shock of the scene she witnessed earlier with that other Lexa that's hidden behind the strength of the commander is not as present in her mind, she wants to do this her way.

  _"I said I'd help you. I didn't say I'd risk my brother's life for it, he's the only family I've got. So leave him out of it"_

Lexa seems to let go of the subject, but she still feels like she should've insisted on bringing him along specially with her having no idea what they're going to do once they reached Luna.

Luna might seem like the peace maker to those guys who never met her before. With her quiet far-away life and her leaving a bloody compact to teach kids how to fish and net instead. But she knows her better. After all, this is the girl who killed her own brother and would've killed Lexa next if that didn't drive her to the verge of insanity that she had to leave everything behind and start a whole new life.

The other thing is, she isn't sure what to ask of her once they get there. She knows the prophecy; Titus told it to her many times when she was a kid. Luna too, like every Natblida she must've grew up listening to the tales of the savior. For a long time Lexa thought the "two commanders that'll join as one" part was the hopeful myth to help people cope with something so evil. Plus even if it was possible, would she and Luna be able to make it? She doubts that they're the most powerful night-bloods that ever existed.

 In this way Lexa's mind keeps on going back and forth. She doesn't listen to a word of what the group says. She doesn't participate in their conversations. And she barely gets any sleep when night falls and they find a place to rest. They in return all seem to treat her with caution that she's not even sure why they followed the plan. She can't imagine what could've Octavia or Murphy told them to get them running towards mystery but she defiantly won't ask. She's just glad they're here because that's the only way to get Clarke back.

*** *** ***

When she opens her eyes, Lexa is lying in a tiny room, a box by its look. Along with the small team. The last thing she remembers is sitting on shore around the fire when it got too dark to go forward. Did she fall asleep? Did Octavia's plan work and they actually saw the fire?

 Lexa is the first one to get up and walks out of the open door, for a second the sunlight is so strong she can't see anything but light blurring her vision and making her specks so visible in the line of her sight. She hears the sound of the sea before she sees it. Right in the middle of it, they really are in a box that's a part of an old maybe wrecked a few times and brought back to life ship attached to a port. She turns around to walk towards it with Octavia and the rest and that's when she hears a whistle, she didn't really see the guy standing above their heads above the 2nd roof but this seems to be a sign for more people to show up down in front of them and among them stands Luna.

It's only been a couple of years but Luna looks like she grown 10 years to Lexa. She even looks more wise with her hair longer, her cloths simpler and yes with the dark circles under her eyes maybe more dangerous.

- _"Commander…"_ Luna says this with irony smiling at Lexa, her voice unchanged as tender as ever.

  _"Can't sleep at night thinking of the one that skipped dying under your sword?"_

_"Luna. You look… well"-_

_-"I am… what brought you hear?"_

_-"I came in peace, asking for your help. We're facing an enemy that we've always been warned about"_

Luna's reaction is surprising, she laughs like she's just heard a very good joke.

- _"You didn't come hear Commander, you were drugged and brought to me"_ again the mockery tone obvious in her voice but now she's actually getting serious and maybe furious.

 " _You dare to ask passage to my place brining your wars and troubles with you. Why would you ever think I'd help you? I did more than I should when I spared your life before I leave. I want nothing to do with you."_

Luna turns around to go inside and Lexa raise her voice a bit but her sentence doesn't come as sincere as she hoped.

_-"I didn't choose this life. I certainly didn't want you to turn into this"_

_-"This..!"_ Luna is back coming closer to Lexa, she's smaller in size but she somehow seems to pin Lexa with her gaze to the ground.

  _"You didn't make me this. I did. I chose to be something other than the monster that you've become. After your mentor managed putting me against my brother in the first round. It would've been you who I killed instead."_

_-"This wasn't Anya's fault. You know our ways"_

 Lexa's voice is steady but her heart is running fast inside her. This is not the subject she wants to discuss now. She doesn't even want to think about Anya and that conclave and the 6 people who were all nearly her age that she had to kill in her way to become a commander.

Just when she started to think coming here was the wrong choice; help came on Octavia's voice from beside her.

- _"Lincoln said you understand peace"_ Luna is finally acknowledging the existence of anyone else but Lexa.

  _"He said that we should come here if we wanted to find peace... That's all he talked about for as long as we were together"_

 _-"Octavia"_ Luna says her name like recognizing an old friend taking an extended look at her face which comes like a bit of a shock.

  _"Lincoln talked about peace his whole life, and then came You and Love blinded him from everything but Octavia … I'm sorry you lost him"_

 _-"he died well"_ is all Octavia manages to say hiding a fast glance at Lexa.

 Luna seems calmer now as she takes a look around as if trying to print all of their faces in her mind before she goes back to Lexa.

- _"you can rest, and talk if you want. But I'm not fighting anymore. I'm done with all that."_

*** *** ***

For the 1st time in what seems like ages those 5 people sitting in a corner are not fighting. They're watching kids playing and singing like there's no tomorrow. Nothing to worry about, no war, no evil, no grounders and sky people. Each one of them might be here for a different reason. They might believe in the crazy story told to them or they might not. They maybe believe they're doing well by their people, or for Clarke who protected them ever since they landed on earth. But in this very moment they all can't help wishing even slightly being able leave it all behind and live in a detached peaceful world like the one those people created for themselves.

- _"So that's it?"_

 Raven finally breaks the silence. She can see Lexa sitting alone outside through the drapes that's covering a window-like wooden hole. Her legs bent under her and her eyes closed in a somewhat prayer position

_"We came all this way just to go back empty handed? She didn't even spend 15 minutes in there with her before she gave up and got out."_

Nobody answered for a few minutes they all seem hopeless.

After that Jasper got up and walked slowly around fascinated by the place and the people as well. He reached Luna who was by herself on the deck looking at sea and stood there sharing the view.

- _"trying to convince me to come fight your war for you?"_ Luna was the one who started the conversation.

- _"our war. If what Lexa says is true it's going to be on all of us"_

_-"and that's why you're here? Because this war is going to kill us all?"_

_-"yes..?"_ it sounded more like a question than an answer really.

- _"look at you, look at your friends. I bet your life up in the sky was much quieter. But since you got her all you knew is killing. Wouldn't you want to stop for a change?"_

Jasper just stood there his breath calmly rising and falling with nothing to say.

  _"How did this Wanheda story become your business?"_

 _-"Clarke, she's one of us. We wouldn't have survived without her all this time. She came back for us once. And now she's the commander of death."_ He smiles weakly.

- _"and you believe that why? Because Lexa said she'll protect your people from hers? She's here because she's afraid for herself"_

_-"she's here because she's afraid for Clarke._

_I don't know if I believe any part of the myth. Although let's be real Clarke sounds perfectly fit for the job. But if we can save her, if we can prevent Lexa losing someone like we both did, then there's nothing I wouldn't do"_

- _"I promised myself I'd never go back to that mess again"_ said Luna after a minute of staring into his eyes.

_"I came here for peace; there is no way I'm going back just to start another war"_

_-"then take the peace there, maybe you're what we need to have it"_

_-"You don't understand, war is all there's in these lands. You didn't start all this, war was always all we knew"_

Jasper didn't seem to have anything to add, he thought he knew a lost case when he saw one. They both cut the subject half way tired of arguing and stood there in silence for a little longer.

*** *** ***

As of the first light of the next day, the group was ready to leave the way they came; Lexa was ready on the deck looking at sea in deep thoughts. She didn't say a thing to them the previous night and Octavia having watched her most of the night wasn't sure she slept at all. Right when they were about to be escorted to the boat Luna gave a signal for her crew to wait.

_-"So that's it? You'll give up and go?"_

Lexa took a minute before she raise her head, the commanders voice and look as steady as ever when she's about to start firing her orders.

- _"You ran away once, why did I ever expect you to be less of a coward this time"_

The second the words left her mouth she almost regrets how harsh they sounded even as Luna smiled back at her, her voice didn't quiver at all though.

  _"Maybe I should walk this fight alone, after all I am the commander and it's my duty to do so."_

She didn't wait longer this time, simply turned around and head to the boat the other five following her steps.

- _"I will help."_

 Luna shouts in a rush. "But I will never set a foot in that city again."

- _"You will pray for us?"_

Lexa didn't even turn her head fully as she said that, sarcasm doesn't come as smooth in her voice, it sounds more like a threat really.

 _-"I will help after you fulfill the other parts of the prophecy.  You might have to fight a war before that, or 10! Who knows? I won't be a part of that, but when the time is right she will come to me carrying the message_ " she finished indicating Octavia.

If anyone beside the two women had any idea what she's talking about they didn't show a sign of it, in fact everyone else looked completely buzzled and lost to what's happening, but Lexa couldn't hide that glimpse of hope in her eyes no matter how much in control of her expression she was.

 Regardless she simply nodded and finished her way. When they got on their transformation mean and out of ear shot she finally turned to Octavia.

- _"whatever you said to her, thank you"_

_-"I guess that's Jasper's this time"_

Lexa nodded again and went back to her silent retreat glancing at sea. She has to start planning for the long road ahead and more difficult yet a way to include that new strange group in it.

*** *** ***


	3. The Plan Commence to Action

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa sets a plan to save Clarke and stop the war, and assigns each of her team to a mission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kinda short chapter :)

_"If we're going to do this together, you will have to trust me. I know what I am doing"_

That was the only assurance Lexa kept giving the group in their long search for a place unknown by any of them. Moving from one hill to another taking a better look each once in a while, using the forest mostly as a cover, and rationing in their supplies in fear of not being able to hunt or of their journey lasting so long. Octavia seems the only one who is really on board with every move marking the road on her mind's map. But it's their 3rd day and this dawn they woke up to the unmistakable sound of war drums. Not that this changed anything except their pace to a much more hurried one.

_-"this is it! That's the spot."_

It was almost midday already. They're standing in a spot of the forest like any other for miles in all different directions. Two bare grounds divided with a couple of trees and surrounded by more giant ones, about fifteen minutes from the last hill they were on although it's not visible from down here. But Lexa had no doubt she has found her distention.

_"We have to bring her here. This is where the prophecy shall be fulfilled"_

_-"am I the only one who's still waiting for an actual plan to emerge?"_

Monty wonders to no one in particular.

- _"judging by the drums we heard this morning, our priority is to stop the war."_ Lexa starts to explain as she sits to rest grouping the five around her like the leader she is.

  _"Octavia you will have to do this. The closest place to your camp is Ton-DC and that's where the army will be gathering. You should go and give them my orders."_

- _"wait, me? What on earth makes you think anyone will listen to me?!"_

_-"Indra will, you have to do your best because I need to go back to Polis and find Titus."_

_-"okay I'm tired of being in the blind side. Explain"_

_-"Titus left to find some kind of a weapon... I think. I mean he has to; there is no other explanation on why he sent me to Luna. But I have to go to Polis and get it from him."_

_-"that's no reason commander, I can't stop a war. And you know that even Indra doesn't stand a chance against the clans' leaders."_

_-"she's right._ " John interrupts before Lexa can argue more.

  _"You should go with her. I can go to Titus. I'll probably be faster and easier to hide."_

 _-"okay"_ she agrees after a minute of thinking.

  _"Who's going to your camp? Clarke might not be herself anymore but she's still one of you, she looks like her old self and she'll try to recruit an army out of your people. Someone have to go and convince her mother not to listen to her when she comes, if she didn't already."_

_-"Bellamy… We have to convince Bellamy. Abby might be the chancellor but ever since mount-weather he's the one in practical command. People listen to him."_

Lexa's face goes yellow at this response. She might not know either of them enough but she knows one thing: Bellamy never walked in front of her without a rifle hanging from his shoulder. Things seemed to get complicated for a moment but then Monty continues with a confident voice.

  _"I will go. I think I can make him wait at least and buy you some time."_

 _-"That leaves you two here."_ She faces both Jasper and Raven.

  _"You should camp on that hill, keep us all connected, we should agree on some kind of a sign."_

_-"a sign. What are we? grounders?"_

Raven's lame joke goes over the commander's head; she gives up wiping the half smirk off her face.

  _"I don't go anywhere without my talkies. I've got two of them"_

_-"Octavia should get one. I will find one in the camp and change its frequency channel. This leaves Murphy out." Monty thinks out loud._

_-"I don't need one."_

John replays in all seriousness.

  _"If I didn't come back here, we're dead anyway. No need to keep you informed on my moves."_

Eyes moving from one to another impressed with how fast they're all adapting. It seems to Lexa as if they only need a head start to figure their way out of every problem.

- _"one more thing"_ Jasper who's been a silent listener so far starts.

  _"How will we bring Clarke here if she's trying to lead an army in a war?"_

_-"She'll come by her own accord, Once she knows I'm here. My death is her fundamental goal."_

*** *** ***


	4. The Holler of War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clarke is back. and the war is knocking on the front door.

  In a cave near Arkadia, Clarke is waiting for the first rays of sun to emerge. She's been watching the camp from a distance for few days now. It looked strangely calm, locked and secured. It supposedly had been this way ever since the mount-weather event. But how would she know when she runaway ever since?

 A month in the woods surrounded by all her fears and the ghosts of those she took their soul with a simple pull of a lever. And when she got tired what did she do? She went straight to the woman who pushed her face down towards that inevitable horror. Hanging to a sentence that merely sounded like an invitation, right before she betrayed her.

 Then, Clarke was hoping that she wasn't imagining the tone she heard beneath the few words, that that kiss wasn't just a way to make things right or an early apology, that when she arrives someone there would have been thinking about her every single minute of the month just like she was.

 But now it's different. She is different. She thinks her destiny lead her there for entirely new purpose. She wants vengeance. She wants war. She wants to wipe them all out, from their capital to the smallest village. And with that undefeatable power growing in her, she knows she can do it.

*** *** ***

 In her watch, she came to figure the way things are kept safe from the outside. And dawn is the time to catch Bellamy all by himself before meeting with anyone else, as he goes on patrols around the fence every day in his usual cautious way, leaving the guards near the gate. So she waits for the perfect moment to show up and take him by surprise.

He turns around a slight second before she reaches him in an answer to this weird tangling call we get when someone is creeping behind us.

 

-"Clarke?!"

-"Bellamy…" she embraces him in a hug shoving his rifle aside.

-"Clarke, what the hell are you doing here?"

-"Bellamy, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for everything. For leaving you to handle things alone like this."

-"I'm just glad that you're okay" his voice sounds absolutely genuine.

-"yeah"

-"didn't like their fancy capital much?"

-"oh I was wrong. I should never have approached them not even then. In fact, I think it's time we take our revenge."

-"I thought you were trying to make peace, again."

-"Bellamy they are grounders. They don't know what peace is"

-"what are you saying?"

-"I'm saying it's time we put an end to all of this. With our guns we can beat them. Take them by surprise and end it all. We can rule this earth the way we were supposed to do when we landed here first."

-"we landed as prisoners. Some lab experience for the people up in the ark, did you forget that?"

-"No, but we found hope here. We found life until they took it away from us. And ever since we've been trying to share but they keep betraying us."

-"Clarke you've been gone forever."

-"now I'm back. I've lived among them and I came back here to tell you that there's no other way."

-"we can't just kill every grounder. Our people will get hurt too."

-"I know but there is no other way end it once and for all. Victory stands in the back of sacrifice."

  Something inside her flinches as she says this, she's not sure why but Bellamy cuts her thoughts short after thinking for a minute. He didn't see this coming; was Octavia right after all?

-"do you have a plan?"

-"we start with the closest villages. We hit them fast and hard."

-"there are kids in these places, old people, civilians, Seriously Clarke?"

-"you've killed civilians before." The sentence escapes her mouth before she can close on it.

-"That was different!"

-"I… I didn't mean it like that. But you know that sometimes hard decisions must be taken."

-"we have to think this through, discuss it with the others."

As she's trying to form another argument, her ears catch some sound travelling by the winds from afar. She starts moving her head slowly trying to focus her hearing.

-"what's wrong?"

She shushes him down with a raised hand. Her eyes are strangely starting to shine, excitement simmering inside her.

-"did you hear that?"

-"Drums!"

-"do you still want to think this through?"

-"but why? Why now?"

-"Because I got out of Polis. They probably expected my moves and want to hit us first."

This time his face expression isn't as hard to read, he doesn't need more convincing or at least that's what Clarke saw.

-"let's get inside. We have to get ready."

*** *** ***

 

Night is almost falling on the sky-people camp but no sleep for the people in it. Setting their last confirmations of divisions to march out; more organized than ever. Through the open gate that's protected with a dozen soldiers armed and ready, in walks Monty. His breath all messed up from shock; he moves inside asking everyone about Bellamy's whereabouts until he finds him and drags him aside.

-"Bellamy what's going on?"

-"where's O?"

-"she's fine. What is that?"

-"what do you think? Payback time."

-"Bellamy I have to talk to you. This is a mistake; things are more complicated than you think."

-"complicated how? Are you going to tell me some voodoo story about evil spirits? The grounders are heading here we heard their drums."

-"how do you…?"

-"Octavia told me before you fools sneak out. Just because I couldn't stop her doesn't mean she hasn't lost her mind. You've all did. Now where is she?"

-"Your sister is with the grounders, in TonDC. Now who do you think would be the first to die when they know that our army is about to attack?"

Bellamy's face looks drenched from every drop of blood. It's as if he stopped breathing altogether while in deep thoughts.

-"Clarke is different" he finally says absentmindedly.

-"listen, it doesn't matter how much of this is true. We've been in peace for a couple of months, so it is possible to avoid bloodshed. You know there will be so much loss in our side. And Octavia is there, she's going to get hurt."

-"the others are with O?"

-"kind of, they're working on a plan."

-"we can't risk getting attacked. We'll march to the woods far enough and take position. If they engage first we push back."

-"Great. Do me a favor: don't tell Clarke." He backs away to do the 2nd part of his job.

*** *** ***

 

-"Monty?!"

Monty indeed freezes in his place. He turns off his device and tries to hide his freaked out face from Clarke by jumping into her arms in a hug.

   "Where were you?"

-"outside the camp. You… look good. I'm glad you're back."

-"yeah me too." She barely smiles before she goes back to the subject

 "What were you doing?"

-"Umm this war, we are trying to have a peace talk with the grounders."

-"peace talk, with whom?"

-"Lexa, their commander."

-"Lexa herself? Monty what's going on here?"

-"O thought she can talk to the grounders. We just thought it's unsafe to let her go by herself. Actually I came back because the commander wants to talk to our leader. She's refusing to tell us why they're attacking now. I was just going to talk to Abby. She should be the one going, right?"

-"No, I should go. I know their ways better."

-"right... We can move with the first light. I know the place, midway between here and their army's camping ground. I'll come with you. Maybe we should tell our army to hold till …"

-"no need to, they're just positioning. They won't attack until morning; we'll be done by then"

*** *** ***


	5. The Susurration of Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The grounders are ready to fight back. but Lexa has another thing in mind.

Ton-Dc is a ghost of the town it once was. The fire on iron smell, the tense quiet, the absence of smiling lively faces, all indicates the war standing at the door. Twelve leaders drop to their knees in respect as their commander enters the headquarters where they've already been meeting; their breaths held inside their lungs on pause.

She doesn't need to voice her question, her look around is enough of a demand for an explanation. Indra is the one who dares to speak.

-"Heda, we didn't know where you were. The leaders of the clans decided…"

-"Decided?!" Lexa's gaze is so angry there might be flames sparkling out of her eyes if she tried any harder.

-"they thought…"

-"we warned you" says a voice among the leaders, pure against the silence but deeply shaky.

 "We told you she's the Wanheda our people been afraid of her coming for decades. Nobody could've beaten mount-weather if they hadn't had an evil spirit."

-"She destroyed our nightmare, wiped our enemy. Is that how we thank her?" Lexa asks the man who doesn't dare look her in the eye.

-"She didn't do it for us Heda. Worse yet is that we didn't stand with her, we're next."

She is in full control of her composure, but the memory lit a fire inside of her.

-"if you know your story well you know it's not a spirit. It's Death in its most horrifying sense. Death that gets stronger with every soul ripped apart and yearns for more regardless of the side they fight for. War is not the way to beat Wanheda and we can't just march against those people. They are our allies. We promised them peace."

-"so we wait for them to kill us in our homes?" comes a different voice from the crowed causing a descending murmur of agreement.

In this moment of disarray Octavia hurries in.

-"Commander I need a word. Raven signaled me."

-"where is she?" Lexa needs no further details to realize what she's trying to tell her.

-"our camp." Octavia takes a look around afraid of what her words will cause once they come out but she doesn't have a choice.

  "Monty will lead her to the spot at dawn but our army is getting ready."

 The murmurs turn into conflicted shouts too loud for any of them to be clearly understood.

-"Enough!"

Dead silence falls upon the world around with that single word that hits out of Lexa's mouth like a thunder strike. The room is suddenly as calm as an empty graveyard.

 "It's time for you to go then. Get to the shore, signal for Luna, and if… when she shows up take her to the place. You know the road; it'll be easier this time. Give her the fastest horse." She shouts the last sentence at her guards and they obey the command.

-"but commander, she said something about…"

-"she wouldn't expect you to know the details of that. Just bring her there; let's hope John makes it in time."

With a nod of her head, Octavia takes her order and walks out.

****** **** ******

-"This is happening faster than any of us predicted" Lexa addresses the room at large, her voice is loud and steady.

 "It's true that we're facing an enemy scarier than anything we've fought before. An enemy that no amount of strength, determination, or loyalty can beat. On the contrary every single sacrifice will be count to its advantage. Except for my own"

The reticence is breaking again as the breaths get heavier in the room.

 "My duty as your commander is to protect every single one of you. And I promise to do exactly that, or die trying. But in the meantime, we have to regard the approaching danger. Our army will keep their position around the villages as they already are, only to protect ourselves if they dare to engage first. Not a single arrow shall be fired until I come back or send a word otherwise. That is an order."

Confidante of the needless to repeat herself twice, Lexa leaves the stunned faces behind and gets out exiting the way she came. Indra following in her heels.

-"Indra, you're in my place now. Make sure no one defies my instructions."

-"Heda, I …"

-"you're a warrior. You know when to fight and when to hold back for the sake of your people. I have to go."

Indra's hollow expression is indescribable, her words don't come to contact with the outside until Lexa is already out of earshot.

-"Good luck Heda."

****** **** ******


	6. The Past Hunts the Souls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> one last step before the final Confrontation

Surrounded by the elements of the night, Raven and Jasper have been silent for a while as they pass an old binocular back and forth each once in a while to check on the empty woods. They've only been in this hill where they camped since noon but they're already feeling like they got stuck with the boring part of the mission. Nobody wants to be the watch.

-"Do you think we've officially lost our minds?"

Raven finally throws her question to the wind in a serious tone.

 "I mean, it's Clarke. We're setting a trap to our friend with the help of the leader of our enemy."

-"having in mind that they'd spent the past couple of weeks in a honeymoon like, let's reconsider the word enemy."

Jasper doesn't even sound sarcastic, merely bored.

-"yeah but which Lexa are we dealing with, the girlfriend or the grounder that betrayed us once before?"

When Jasper doesn't answer she tries a different question.

 "Why are you here? Wouldn't take you for a fan of grounders' superstitious."

-"I don't know. I'm tired of war and of being a useless drunk."

-"come one, you're not useless. You're in pain, and some of us take longer in overcoming that than others. But you're not useless, you were the first one to take a spare for us, I wasn't even here yet."

-"just bad luck. Why are you here?"

-"I don't know either. Murphy is a pretty good storyteller; he had me at 'how many times did you think I'm going to die? Well this time I'm telling you we will' part. It seems like no matter what we do, there is no right choice. Maybe I'm only trying to participate in the mess."

Jasper lowers the binocular fiddling with it for a second; he speaks with his gaze in the distance.

"Clarke saved my life then, she didn't know more than my name. I was a complete stranger to her."

-"so you're trying to be a hero and pay her back now?"

Jasper ignores her question once again, changing the subject.

-"Do you forgive her? for Finn, you know."

-"No. I think I will one day though."

-"I'm not sure I ever will."

Raven takes a deep breath, making up her mind

-"I believe otherwise. Jasper, she stuck a knife in the heart of the only person who ever loved me for exactly what I am. Don't think I imagine her perfect. But I was the one who put that knife in her hand and asked her to kill someone else. So am I any better?

 She was trying to save everybody else. Maybe that's Clarke's real curse, she never knows when to give up. Always pushing and pushing until things flip back on her face. If I was death, I'd pick that girl to do my biddings too."

Raven grabs the binocular from his hand and sweeps the surroundings as her friend's silence seems endless.

 "Jasper?  Okay, that's weird." She hands it to him and point a finger to the spot where they set discussing their plan few hours ago.

"Look." He does just that.

-"what am I supposed to be looking at?"

-"the trees, the spot Lexa led us to. Look at the shape they create from above."

-"umm I'm still lost. What's that a number eight?"

-"infinity sign. Lexa has a tattoo just like that on the back of her neck."

-"alright…" Jasper turns his body fully towards her.

"when did you see Lexa's tattoo? And what on earth is that supposed to mean?"

She rolls her eyes on him and goes back to looking at the spot.

-"this morning, as she was kneeling to get some water from the stream, someone got to keep an eye on her as she drags us to the unknown. And I have no idea, but it must mean something."

**** **** ****

-"It's Lexa."

Jasper starts, he's back to his hollow stare.

 "I'm here for her, not Clarke. Or I guess I am. I probably wouldn't have had any idea about her feelings had I not lost Maya. But that look in her eyes, I just know that all she wants is to get the woman she loves back. And that she wouldn't be the same again if she believed she lost her forever."

As she tries to make sense of the words, Raven gets pulled off of her thoughts with a voice coming out of the talkie that makes them both jump.

-"Raven, are you there?"

-"Monty"

-"Raven listen, Clarke is here, you have to tell O."

-"is everything okay?"

-"not precisely. Our army is on the ready to leave right now. Bellamy says they won't attack first. But hey, I just convinced her to come along and talk to Lexa at dawn. They'd better be there by then."

-"what if they don't?"

-"I have no idea, but if she goes with the army the war is starting immediately."

-"okay. I'll tell them. Be careful."

**** **** ****

As the white lines in the sky are getting more visible marking the start of another day, it's obvious that neither one of the two had gotten any sleep. They're basically in their same position, and they only break it when they see Lexa coming towards them lurching carefully among the trees.

She can't even wait to finish the last few steps to speak, simply shouts her question at them.

-"John?"

-"he isn't here yet." Raven answers and gets a terrifyingly worried look in response.

-"actually…" Jasper interrupts standing up to take a better look at something small moving in the distance.

 "Doesn't he have a weirdly good timing as usual?!"

Both the women move to gaze in the same direction. Indeed it is Murphy, appearing in the moment they were about to break like a savior.

-"Yes. That bastard has nine lives."

 Raven jokes following Lexa down the hill to meet him halfway. Lexa springs to him in front of them.

-"Thank goodness, did you get it?"

-"yes." John starts before he catches his breath. Getting some package wrapped in robes from the pocket of his jacket.

"here, you should have one like it. a blade with a wooden handle that Anya once gave it to you. Titus says you always carry it with you."

-"what?" Lexa reaches for her boot and pulls a knife confused "this?"

At the same time, John unwrap the package to reveal an identical knife.

"He told me that you know how to use it on both you and Luna, exactly as he taught you when you were a kid. And he also asked me to make sure that you never killed a knight-blood with it? Something about the prophecy being meddled with if it touched the holy blood before."

-"No, I never did."

Lexa is still confused, she takes the other knife regardless and hand it to Jasper.

"When Luna shows up, help her…  She'll show you what to do with it. And make sure you guys stay out of this spot, just go deeper in the woods."

-"Also, Titus wanted me to tell you that he's sorry."

-"About what?"

-"not trusting how strong you are." Murphy looks a bit awkward repeating his words

 "He says that he always tried to protect you by keeping you away from the danger. That he should've known you'd choose to face it eventually."

She tries to hide the fact that she's touched in a frozen expressionless face. She swallows a knot in her throat and asks in a low voice,

-"is he okay?"

-"yeah. He will be."

Lexa nods once, put her knife back secured in her laces, and moves aside ready to face her destiny. Clarke will be here any second.

*** *** *** ***


	7. Death against Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexa confronts Clarke in a final battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter. if you've read as far, thank you.

It feels like an eternity. The steps of two pairs of feet echo against the forest's silence. Monty continues further towards his friends. But Clarke doesn’t. She doesn't even spare them a glance as she stops in front of Lexa, only few feet between them. Her eyes almost red, but not of exhaustion, they can all tell something about her is completely different. And when she speaks her voice comes out deeper and huskier than usual.

-"what is that? You're leaving your army to fight without you?"

Lexa doesn't seem able to bring herself to talk.

 "It doesn't matter. If you prefer dying here alone then you shall. The commandment of life will end with you."

-"Clarke" she finally manages to say, her voice is a ghostly whisper.

 "You don't want to do this. This is not you."

Clarke starts circling around her; already a triumph shining in her eyes, she speaks with as much sarcasm as she can.

-"are you going to kill me, Lexa?"

Without waiting for an answer she moves forward. The strangest thing happens. The four people watching from a distance would swear they imagined it if it didn't happen again and again later on. As she kicks her feet to the ground in a jump, Clarke's body tightens then shrinks and her face changes in a melt-like process to something else. It happens so fast for the eye to catch but there is no doubt about it. One second it's Clarke, the next it's a black panther with a flaming gush on one side flying in midair so close to Lexa's face. Lexa's sword is ready just as fast, she ducks, flip the sword backward and hit the beast with the handle knocking it sideways, she falls as well in the opposite direction. As it lands the same unbelievable transformation happens. And suddenly it's Clarke squatting on the ground. She pushes herself to her feet and speaks with a smirk covering her face,

-"I knew it. You wouldn’t dare!"

except the voice that comes out isn't familiar to any of them. Nothing about the embodiment of whatever monster it is standing there resembles Clarke anymore.

It jumps again, transforming in the air, and the panther kicks Lexa who barely stood back right on the chest with its back paws throwing her backward for a good distance. It lands back, Clarke stands tall as Wanheda.

**** **** ****

 

As Lexa tries to stand up using her sword, she sees them running closer, Luna and Octavia. If she has time to think honestly of the matter, she didn't truly believe Luna would come. She kept her head busy with the plan so as not to think of the tragedy that would be if Octavia never came back. She starts backing away rubbing her chest when she notices Octavia didn't stop as Luna did, she kept running towards Clarke to buy them some time, one sword ready in the air, the other shielding her face, her scream of war a mimic of Indra's one and as loud as the grounders army put together.

Lexa can't waste a second on watching, she runs with all the force she has towards the group who came to meet Luna in the edge of the spot. She brings out her wooden handle knife and puts it in John's hand.

-"Now. Use it on me."

-"What?" John is horrified. Titus must've missed explaining this part to him.

-"Now John! In the heart." Lexa shouts pulling his hand closer.

John turns his head aside watching Luna just few inches away. She doesn't say a word after taking the other knife from Jasper. Simply sits on her knees, flips the blade in her hand, direct it to her chest as she closes her eyes, and with a heavy but confident breath she thrusts it in her body, blood pouring out on the ground. John's sweaty grip around the knife is slippery, he feels his heavy body shoved aside and doesn't quite understand what's happening at first. Raven takes the knife from his hand and plunge it with all her might precisely in Lexa's heart.

 

****** **** ******

 

For a split second, time stops, for Raven at least. She imagines herself back in space, outer space, with no access to the ark, and the last bit of oxygen sucked out of her lungs. She's terrified not by the dead body falling in a heap in front of her, but of herself. Why did she just do that? Was she following another part of the plan? Just trying to help and do what's been asked? Or was she finally taking her revenge, after wanting to hurt Lexa for so long, wishing to see her soul leave her body with as much pain as possible? Her line of troubled thoughts cut short with Octavia's screams of pain although she can't register it yet.

A hand pulls her and she backs away stunned. Lexa's blood flowing out of her heart digging its way on the ground. At one point it meets the other river of darkness that's Luna's blood. A map of Mesopotamian resemblance forms between them. And above the meeting point something magically beautiful and scary happens. All heads turn to watch the smoky shapes forming in space. Even Clarke, who might've finished Octavia off any minute now, leaves her in agony.

At first, it is shapeless white smoke, then it starts emerging in the shape of a cloaked human, a warrior woman, a ghostly Luna, then it starts getting deeper, still transparent but somehow more present, it's a bit taller and slimmer, it is Lexa.

Fully armored Lexa, her war paint on point and her heavy sword steady in her clutch.

Without the slightest hesitation, she moves towards Clarke in attack, but the later flinches and jumps aside landing as the panther. Time after time this other Lexa steps ahead and Wanheda avoids her attack changing every time from one form to another like a fast digital image, once Clarke, once a panther.

At last Lexa pretends to attack again, she stops midway and lean with her sword holding hand to exactly where Wanheda steps as if she were studying her moves, her sword slicing through her leg quickly but deeply. The beast falls to the ground howling in pain. It raises its head, eyes on fire ready to attack itself this time.

Lexa throws her sword away; she reaches to her boot laces taking a knife out. The same knife in the woman's body steps away but just as transparent as the warrior. Wanheda jumps fast, sharp teeth a millimeter from Lexa's face, one panther paw scratching on her left shoulder, her right hand moves up, and the knife goes right through the animal lower jaw and up through its brain.

They both fall to the ground. Strong wind engulfing the area. A scream so loud, so creepy and deadly echoes around the woods causing everyone to cover their heads in protection. And then silence.

 Jasper is the first to look back up, Clark is lying in the ground were the hellish fight just happened, blood covering her jaw and neck.

**** **** ****

 

Clarke opens her eyes to Jasper's face hanging above her as he tries to shake her awake. She can barely remember where she is or what happened.

-"Clarke, are you okay? You're bleeding."

 _No I'm not_ ; she thinks but doesn't have the power to say out loud. She can taste the sticky blood in her throat but she knows she's fine. It doesn’t feel like hers. Things are slowly starting to come back to her, she looks around, Octavia is lying down her head in Raven's lap she looks horribly ill but she's awake.

The two night-bloods are both on the ground dead. Or so obviously are. John standing over their heads unable to move. Clark almost crawls towards them, both still in a pool of blood with two identical knifes in their chests.

-"Lexa, No!" she's half crying half gasping hysterically now. She tries to reach for the knife and John stops her with a shout that leaves her frozen.

-"No! wait" he gets down on his knees, and round his grip carefully around the other knife in Luna's chest.

 "together, okay? One,"

-"two," she counts with him.

 _Three_.

They pull. The knives come out or rather the knife holders for there are no blades left, even though they both came out hard. They simultaneously reach for the wounds that there no more, they can feel the blood underneath them drying leaving a trace in the soil like an old burn.

Luna starts to open her eyes slowly taking everything around her one blink at a time.

Lexa blinks once; she breathes one word out before she goes off again.

-"Clarke…"

****** **** ******

 

The scent of candles, the soft fur underneath her, Lexa is slowly registering where she is. Back in polis safe in her bed, she can almost hear Clarke's heart beating beside her, her breath softly brushing against Lexa's arm as she sleeps with both hands holding tight to it.

-"Clarke…"

She wakes right away even though the name wasn't louder than a whisper.

-"Lexa! God finally."

She gets up and leans taking Lexa's lips in her own. She kisses her hard pushing the Wight of her own body against Lexa's not yet healed one. The latter moans in pain.

 "I'm so sorry." She moves back.

-"the war, what happened?"

-"Everything is fine. Everything went as you planned."

-"Luna?"

-"She's already back with her people. Much stronger than you by the looks of it." Clarke tries to joke halfheartedly.

Lexa says nothing she's just staring at her eyes with unexplained expression.

-"I thought I lost you." She finally manages to say.

-"I thought I lost me too. You brought me back."

Clarke gets out of bed; she brings a box from the floor with the two wooden handles lying in it.

 "It's over."

Lexa only glances at it once and goes back to Clarke's face uninterested in anything else.

-"that woman I killed at the city, she wasn't the real Wanheda. It was a way so I can lead the spirit to you. I'm sorry."

-"You didn't know. "

-"I should've. I should've kept you save."

Clarke takes a heavy breath setting the box aside and sitting next to the commander on bed.

-"Lexa, you just saved my life and everyone else. You're the last person on earth allowed to be sorry."

She touches her left shoulder with the tips of her fingers gently. Trying to lighten the talk again.

 "And I gave you this, so we can have a matching scar."

-"You were right about your friends. They're the bravest group of people I've ever known. I wouldn't have managed a single step without them."

-"of course they are. They're my friends." Clarke says with a smirk.

 "wait till you see John in his new robes. You'd like him even more."

-"his what?"

-"Titus is training him to be the next Fleimkepa. Apparently this has been going on since before all this mess starts. Look, I'm okay with being possessed. But if Murphy shaves his head and gets all those tattoos, I'm done with your bullshit of rituals."

For the first time since she opened her eyes, Clarke manages to bring half a smile to Lexa's face. Taking that she wasn't sure she's going to live to see her again a day and a half ago, this is more than enough for her. She knows things will get better from now on.

****** **** ******

**END**

**Author's Note:**

> *This work uses some characters, places and events from "the 100" however the story takes a different approach. There is more supernatural elements here than science-fiction. If you want an approximate time to when it happens we can say after mount-weather fall but the events don't exactly match.  
> *This is my 1st work of fan-fiction, so if you may go easy on me. And tell me if you have any notes.  
> Thanks in advance for reading.


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